WVU to join Big 12

[Jens1893]

Will get a full share of Tier 1 and 2 media rights ASAP, TCU has to wait until 2015.

 

[The Guest]

This one still warms my heart...

 

[XIIfan]

How does the Big East maintain their BCS AQ status? Loosing 5 teams in one year can't spell long-term success/stability.

 

[Dark Bohner]

How does the Big East maintain their BCS AQ status? Loosing 5 teams in one year can't spell long-term success/stability.

Simple. By raiding the best of the conferences that are the closest competition to them. That is why you will see Boise State and Air Force accept invitations as football only members within the next few days so that the Big East can remove the MWC as a threat. The Big East has one simple advantage over the MWC and CUSA...money. The TV contracts will be a massive jump from where they are now.

 

[Creebuzz]

This is a very good development for CU. It brings the Big XII some additional stability, while also giving the conference more of an eastern focus. This will further cement the PAC 12 as the only legit conference in the western half of the country.

 

[Cal84]

Will get a full share of Tier 1 and 2 media rights ASAP, TCU has to wait until 2015.

I think that WVU is getting full TV share so it can use the money to pay the BigLeast an extra bonus to its exit fee. It will do this in order to get the BigLeast to waive the 24-27 month exit window that the BigLeast says it is committed to enforcing. TCU does not have the same extra long exit window because it didn't start competing in the BigLeast.

All of this is necessary for the Little10 so it can remain at 10 members for the 2012 season. It must be at 10, or else ESPN/Fox can renegotiate their TV contracts.

What would be funny is if the BigLeast just becomes petulant and decides to forgo an extra big exit fee and insist on WVU remaining for 24-27 months. I don't think it's likely this would happen as the BigLeast looks like it will be able to add replacements right away. But this is your scenario where the Little10 gets screwed. I know you guys like to explore those kind of endgames.

 

[The Guest]

I think that WVU is getting full TV share so it can use the money to pay the BigLeast an extra bonus to its exit fee. It will do this in order to get the BigLeast to waive the 24-27 month exit window that the BigLeast says it is committed to enforcing. TCU does not have the same extra long exit window because it didn't start competing in the BigLeast.

All of this is necessary for the Little10 so it can remain at 10 members for the 2012 season. It must be at 10, or else ESPN/Fox can renegotiate their TV contracts.

What would be funny is if the BigLeast just becomes petulant and decides to forgo an extra big exit fee and insist on WVU remaining for 24-27 months. I don't think it's likely this would happen as the BigLeast looks like it will be able to add replacements right away. But this is your scenario where the Little10 gets screwed. I know you guys like to explore those kind of endgames.

I haven't been following, who would they add? Is TCU back on the table?

 

[Cal84]

I haven't been following, who would they add? Is TCU back on the table?

No, TCU is going to the Little10 effective 2012. It is expected that the BigLeast will add Central Florida (UCF), Houston and SMU. That would get them back up to 8 permanent members and 10 for the 2012 & 2013 season (assuming Pitt and Syracuse are stuck in purgatory for the full 24-27 months and WVU buys its way out). Further additions which would be needed by the 2014 season would presumably be selected from the following list: Boise, Air Force, Temple, East Carolina. Yup, this is what it has come down to. A BCS conference adding directional schools. Ugh.

 

[liverflukes]

No, TCU is going to the Little10 effective 2012. It is expected that the BigLeast will add Central Florida (UCF), Houston and SMU. That would get them back up to 8 permanent members and 10 for the 2012 & 2013 season (assuming Pitt and Syracuse are stuck in purgatory for the full 24-27 months and WVU buys its way out). Further additions which would be needed by the 2014 season would presumably be selected from the following list: Boise, Air Force, Temple, East Carolina. Yup, this is what it has come down to. A BCS conference adding directional schools. Ugh.

At least Texas stays put :thumbsup:

 

[CVilleBuff]

No, TCU is going to the Little10 effective 2012. It is expected that the BigLeast will add Central Florida (UCF), Houston and SMU. That would get them back up to 8 permanent members and 10 for the 2012 & 2013 season (assuming Pitt and Syracuse are stuck in purgatory for the full 24-27 months and WVU buys its way out). Further additions which would be needed by the 2014 season would presumably be selected from the following list: Boise, Air Force, Temple, East Carolina. Yup, this is what it has come down to. A BCS conference adding directional schools. Ugh.

Meh, you'd probably be surprised by the facilities/support East Carolina receives. They arguably have the best football support of any school in North Carolina, drawing 50k a game. UCF, not as much in the support category, but they've got a brand new 45k facility themselves. Besides, we've already got Southern California in our league

 

[Mick Ronson]

i attended the US Open at Congressional all week last summer....and there were ECU fans EVERYWHERE in DC. Pirate geared up. talking ECU football everywhere on the golf course. it was crazy. i was impressed. they are a force in the region. Va Tech, too.

 

[PhillyBuff]

i attended the US Open at Congressional all week last summer....and there were ECU fans EVERYWHERE in DC. Pirate geared up. talking ECU football everywhere on the golf course. it was crazy. i was impressed. they are a force in the region. Va Tech, too.

Is East Carolina in Virginia too?

 

[Mick Ronson]

Is East Carolina in Virginia too?

no, but Greenville, NC is about the same distance to DC as Blacksburg, VA....so, i don't see how that would matter spanky.

 

[CVilleBuff]

i attended the US Open at Congressional all week last summer....and there were ECU fans EVERYWHERE in DC. Pirate geared up. talking ECU football everywhere on the golf course. it was crazy. i was impressed. they are a force in the region. Va Tech, too.

DC Metro is Va Tech's largest alumni city. Same for UVA and UMD. Blacksburg is over a 4 hour drive from the NOVA 'burbs. ECU has a lot in common with VT, easy to forget that VT was in the Metro Conf for all sports except football until '95, and the A-10 until '00 (yes, seems hard to believe now, but it's true). ECU is just hoping to get that opportunity to rise up in prestige like VT did 10-15 years previously.

 

[ScottyBuff]

If I were the Big East, I would invite East Carolina in a heartbeat. They would immediately be the best game-day atmosphere in the league and near the top in attendance. Along with a solid football program, access to North Carolina recruiting, they also represent well along the eastern seaboard's big cities (as mentioned). The Big East needs to worry about their product on the field moreso than they do in "capturing big TV markets". Without performing on the field, the league won't maintain that BCS bid.

With that said, I do hope AFA and Boise remain in the MWC. That would just be strange if they joined the Big East.

I think the Big East will add Memphis and East Carolina as full members if they do decline.

 

[Cal84]

Besides, we've already got Southern California in our league

Yeah and the SEC has South Carolina. Those wacky Southerners...

 

[ScottyBuff]

Why would Boise and AFA seriously join the Big East?

The TV rights expire after the 2012-13 season and they have lost 3 of the marquee programs in both football and basketball, so the likelihood of a gigantic payday is pretty small. Football membership was worth $1.75 million per school in TV rights previously, the MWC was $1.33 million. The BCS bowl bid was the sole reason Big East football membership paid a lot more than MWC membership. There is no guarantee that the Big East can maintain their BCS auto-bid for two reasons: losing WVU and Pitt realy hurts their rankings in the BCS criteria, and when any school besided WVU made the BCS bowl game the TV ratings for that bowl game were horrendous. Why would the BCS bowls sign themselves up for that again? Louisville is a good program with some potential but they do not move the needle on TV ratings, only Rutgers has any appeal from a TV perspective, and that is still mediocre.

None of the Big East schools with appeal want to remain there:
-Rutgers wants out badly: either Big Ten or ACC (in combo with Notre Dame in either case is their hope).
-UConn has performed a "Missouri" in stating how badly they want to join the ACC.
-Louisville won't commit to a future in the Big East, as they are hoping they can still land a spot in the Big 12.
-Cincinnati would jump all over an invite from the Big 12 to join as the 12th member.

Sure, the Big East will try to patch up the sinking ship with invites to UCF, Houston, and SMU but if you were Boise or AFA would those schools make you jump at the chance to join?

If you join that conference and they lose the AQ bid then you just increased your travel costs, alienated your fanbase, left your recruiting pipelines, and didn't gain anything.

AFA is different, of course, and it would make sense for them to be in a league with Army and Navy, but Army isn't interested, Navy is pessimistic (rightfully so) and I don't think it really helps them. Independence would almost be better for them with an "Armed Forces Network" deal with the other military academies and scheduling agreements with Army, Navy, Notre Dame and BYU to get through the November crunch. The Big East membership covers their recruiting ground pretty well, except for the West Coast, but they could accomplish that going Indy also.

 

[MtnBuff]

Why would Boise and AFA seriously join the Big East?

The TV rights expire after the 2012-13 season and they have lost 3 of the marquee programs in both football and basketball, so the likelihood of a gigantic payday is pretty small. Football membership was worth $1.75 million per school in TV rights previously, the MWC was $1.33 million. The BCS bowl bid was the sole reason Big East football membership paid a lot more than MWC membership. There is no guarantee that the Big East can maintain their BCS auto-bid for two reasons: losing WVU and Pitt realy hurts their rankings in the BCS criteria, and when any school besided WVU made the BCS bowl game the TV ratings for that bowl game were horrendous. Why would the BCS bowls sign themselves up for that again? Louisville is a good program with some potential but they do not move the needle on TV ratings, only Rutgers has any appeal from a TV perspective, and that is still mediocre.

None of the Big East schools with appeal want to remain there:
-Rutgers wants out badly: either Big Ten or ACC (in combo with Notre Dame in either case is their hope).
-UConn has performed a "Missouri" in stating how badly they want to join the ACC.
-Louisville won't commit to a future in the Big East, as they are hoping they can still land a spot in the Big 12.
-Cincinnati would jump all over an invite from the Big 12 to join as the 12th member.

Sure, the Big East will try to patch up the sinking ship with invites to UCF, Houston, and SMU but if you were Boise or AFA would those schools make you jump at the chance to join?

If you join that conference and they lose the AQ bid then you just increased your travel costs, alienated your fanbase, left your recruiting pipelines, and didn't gain anything.

AFA is different, of course, and it would make sense for them to be in a league with Army and Navy, but Army isn't interested, Navy is pessimistic (rightfully so) and I don't think it really helps them. Independence would almost be better for them with an "Armed Forces Network" deal with the other military academies and scheduling agreements with Army, Navy, Notre Dame and BYU to get through the November crunch. The Big East membership covers their recruiting ground pretty well, except for the West Coast, but they could accomplish that going Indy also.

Agree with this completely.

The Big LEast is a dying conference. They are losing the one consistent "power" program in the conference in WVU, Pitt and Syracuse are already heading outthe door. This means that they are losing their biggest names and best TV markets. The other good schools can't wait to leave. They are going to be begging for other schools just to have enough teams to play a schedule and call themselves a conference.

They are very likely to be left out of the BCS AQ and their next TV contract will not be great.

The service academies already have a form of a football conference arraingement with the round robin and a trophy. If AFA went independant they could do a combined TV contract that may pay them more than what they now get for those games and more than they would get in the Big East scheduling other games as an independant. AFA could join the Missouri Valley for other sports or the Big West, each would provide a better match for them than the MWC.

 

[ScottyBuff]

Agree with this completely.

The Big LEast is a dying conference. They are losing the one consistent "power" program in the conference in WVU, Pitt and Syracuse are already heading outthe door. This means that they are losing their biggest names and best TV markets. The other good schools can't wait to leave. They are going to be begging for other schools just to have enough teams to play a schedule and call themselves a conference.

They are very likely to be left out of the BCS AQ and their next TV contract will not be great.

The service academies already have a form of a football conference arraingement with the round robin and a trophy. If AFA went independant they could do a combined TV contract that may pay them more than what they now get for those games and more than they would get in the Big East scheduling other games as an independant. AFA could join the Missouri Valley for other sports or the Big West, each would provide a better match for them than the MWC.

And add in the $10 million exit fee if you did join the Big East only to lose the AQ status and you are stuck in a dead league without the revenue streams to buy your way out. At least the MWC is "easy come-easy go" because they don't feel like holding their members hostage.

 

[The Guest]

no, but Greenville, NC is about the same distance to DC as Blacksburg, VA....so, i don't see how that would matter spanky.

I think you missed a joke that was aimed at Jens.